The best fitness trackers

If you're looking for a simple fitness tracker that doesn't necessarily have to be worn on your wrist, the Misfit Ray won't disappoint.

The Misfit Ray's design takes a detour from the usual fitness trackers that often look more like watches. Instead, it looks more like a futuristic piece of jewelry — but not an unflattering one. Despite veering into the realm of wearable jewelry, it still maintains a unisex aesthetic that will make it appealing to everyone.

Though I typically prefer a tracker that has a screen and can double as a watch, the comfortable and lightweight feel of the Ray was welcome, and I liked the sleek design that made it easy to wear along with a watch or other bracelets. It comes in multiple colors, with different band choices, and the option to wear it as a pendant rather than on your wrist.

The Ray doesn't have a heart rate tracker, but while this may be a downside to some, it allows it to be worn in multiple ways while still tracking your steps and activity. It also lacks some of the more advanced features of other trackers, like stress measuring or a built-in GPS, but don't be fooled — the Ray still has plenty to offer. It's water resistant up to 50 meters, tracks your sleep, receives text message and call alerts, and will automatically start tracking activities like running.

I was skeptical about how accurate the sleep tracking would be, or if it would truly be able to tell if I was running or not, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm a light sleeper, and it accurately showed the number of times I woke up during the night, and it could also sense when I was on a run, and tracked the time accordingly. I also liked that the Ray doesn't require any charging. Instead, it's powered by three button cell batteries that will last up to six months.

Since it doesn't have a display, the free Misfit app is a must-have to be able to see all your data. The cylinder that houses this data does have a small multicolored LED light that will blink to show you the progress you've made, and it will also vibrate and light up to remind you to move or when you're receiving a phone notification. I found the app well-organized and easy to navigate and liked how I could see all my stats for the day on one screen, and see how I slept on another.

I also like the alarm feature — it was far less jarring to be woken up by a wrist vibration than my usual blaring iPhone alarm.

Pros: Comfortable design, can be worn different ways, easy to navigate the app, step tracking, accurate sleep tracking, automatic activity tracking, call and text notifications

Cons: No heart rate monitoring, on the expensive side for what it does offer

If exercising is part of your routine, you'll love being able to track your workout in real-time on the bright, easy-to-read screen of the Fitbit Charge 3.

The Fitbit Charge 3 is the successor to the Charge HR and the Fitbit Charge 2 (our previous recommendation as the best fitness tracker for workouts), with a handful of features that set it apart from past versions.

To start, the Charge 3 is not only swim-proof, it's also thinner and lighter, thanks to its aluminum body (the device was previously made from stainless steel). And the screen on the Charge 3 is now 40% bigger with a higher resolution, although the display is still black and white. But perhaps the biggest difference is its new touchscreen function — you could tap the Charge 2 to switch the display, but it didn't really have any capabilities beyond that.

While built-in GPS would be nice, the Charge 3 does offer connected GPS via your smartphone for walking, running, and hiking while you're outdoors so you do have the option to track your distance in more than just steps.

In addition to counting steps like any good fitness tracker should, the Charge 3 also measures stairs climbed, calories burned, resting and active heart rate, and offers in-depth sleep tracking. It even shows which type of sleep you're in: light, deep, or REM. You can also see how your habits stack up against those of other people your age via the app.

If you're feeling stressed, this tracker also offers breathing exercises to help you relax. And, diving into more of the workout features, the Charge 3 has dedicated functions for recording a wide range of activities, including running, cycling, cardio, and strength training. There's even a timer option for HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It also lets you pause and resume workouts, and if you do forget to tell it you're starting an activity or workout it can automatically detect a session and start monitoring it.

Pros: Comfortable design, large display, built-in heart rate monitor, in-depth sleep tracking, advanced workout features, real-time workout tracking on-screen, long battery life, user-friendly app

Cons: No built-in GPS

If you're looking for a fitness tracker with an ultra-sleek design that still has a heart rate monitor, the Fitbit Alta HR is the one for you.

Having small wrists myself, many of the current fitness trackers, smartwatches, and GPS watches look ridiculously big and bulky on me. This wasn't the case with the Fitbit Alta HR. Its slim design looked elegant on my wrist, and made this tracker understated enough to go with other jewelry I was wearing.

I like that you can dress the Alta HR up or down and that it has plenty of band options and colors to choose from. Different bands can be snapped on and off easily. I tested one of the leather bands and was impressed with both the comfort and quality. The Alta HR comes in three sizes: small, large, and extra large so everyone can find their perfect fit.

With a slimmer design, you do lose the larger display found on the Charge 3, but you still have access to the time and all your basic stats including steps, heart rate, and calories burned.

While I personally like a display that's on all the time like a watch, it was easy enough to either turn my wrist towards me or double tap to turn on the display. Plus, the fact that it isn't on all the time does add to the understated look and is less distracting if you only want to see the time or your stats when you need them.

The fact that Fitbit managed to fit a built-in heart rate monitor into such a slim design is truly remarkable — and I definitely appreciated the added feature for workouts and more in-depth health tracking. Even with the heart rate monitor, the Alta HR has a decent battery life and lasted me almost a week before I had to charge it.

While it does have plenty of features to offer, this tracker doesn't have some of the more advanced features of the Charge 3, like the ability to use your phone's GPS to track distance, or the ability to track workouts in real-time. It will automatically record activities like running though, and workout information can also be logged into the app. However, if you want more advanced stats for workouts or specific activities like running or cycling, you won't find those features here.

It should be noted as well that the Alta HR is water and sweat resistant, but not waterproof. This won't be a tracker that you'll be showering or swimming with.

Despite some of the features it lacks, this fitness tracker still offers plenty. Steps, heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and calories burned are all here. The Alta HR will also receive smartphone notifications so you'll know when you're getting a text or call.

I was especially glad that the accurate sleep tracking is still present in the Alta HR. I like that you can actually see specific percentages of the sleep stages you were in, including deep, light, and REM sleep throughout the night, as well as the time spent awake.

As mentioned with the Charge 3, the app is easy to navigate and very user-friendly. I also appreciated the email notifications I would receive when the battery was low. This is another thing Fitbit does a great job with — the app is very interactive and full of helpful information.

Pros: Ultra-sleek design, comfortable fit, built in heart rate, accurate sleep tracking, user-friendly app, ability to receive smartphone notifications

Cons: Smaller screen, no on-screen workout tracking, no GPS capabilities, not waterproof

If you want to track your daily activity, workouts, and sleep but don't want to break the bank, the Huawei Band 2 Pro can do everything you need at an affordable price.

When you think of fitness trackers, there are likely a few brand names (like Fitbit) that come to mind, and rightfully so. However, there are some brands of fitness trackers that may be lesser known, but certainly shouldn't be overlooked. Take the Huawei Band 2 Pro, for example.

So how does this fitness tracker hold up against the more well-known brands? It turns out pretty well, and it's also more affordable than most. It has a fairly slim design, like the Fitbit Alta HR, but it's not quite as sleek looking. While I didn't test this band myself, Insider Picks' guides editor Malarie Gokey did, and she was impressed with the quality of the tracker for its low price.

Reviewers from both Men's Fitness and Tom's Guide found the band to be comfortable, though it did lose a few points for having a push-button style of closure rather than a traditional clasp like you'd find on a watch.

The Band 2 Pro features an OLED screen that's easy enough to read, though some reviewers did wish that the screen was brighter. Rather than tapping the screen itself to access different stats, all navigation takes place from a touch-sensitive navigation button at the bottom of the screen.

Where the Band 2 Pro really excels is in the features it offers, including more advanced ones like built-in heart rate monitoring as well as a built-in GPS — things you'd expect to find in a far more expensive tracker.

Along with tracking steps, the Band 2 Pro also tracks sleep, telling you which stages of sleep you were in throughout the night, and for how long. It even gives you a breathing quality score and will track naps. As far as working out goes, the Band 2 Pro is rated at 5ATM Waterproof, meaning it can go in the pool.

For the runners, it also has a running coach feature and will measure your VO2 max and recovery time. Looking for a way to relax after a stressful day? The Band 2 Pro can help here as well with its relaxation training that gives you guided breathing instructions to help you lower your stress level. Again — a seriously impressive number of features for its price, and with a decent battery life on top of it all.

When it comes to the app, however, there is still some work to be done. While by no means terrible, the Huawei Health app isn't as user-friendly as Fitbit's app, and it does take some time to learn where everything is. You may get a better app experience with a more expensive fitness tracker.

However, if you're not sure you want to commit to a higher price, or you're not fully sold on whether or not you'll even like wearing a fitness tracker all the time, the Band 2 Pro is the perfect solution, offering you a ton of great features at a more affordable price point.

Pros: Slim design, built-in heart rate monitor, built-in GPS, in-depth sleep tracking, waterproof, good battery life

Cons: App could be more user-friendly, some reviewers disliked the button closure, screen isn't bright enough in some settings

If you're looking for a reliable fitness tracker with coaching features to help you reach your fitness goals, the Moov Now may be just what you need.

The Moov Now is kind of the ugly duckling of fitness trackers, but what it lacks in looks, it makes up for in functionality and features. Like the Misfit Ray, this fitness tracker doesn't have a display, so you will need to download the Moov Now app to see your data and access the coaching features.

While I didn't test this tracker myself, most reviewers found the band to be comfortable for all-day wear, as well as discreet. It may not look like much from the outside, but don't be fooled. The disc (called the "core") housed inside the soft silicone strap collects an impressive amount of data, and it does come in different colors if you're looking for some personalization. The core comes with two straps, one for your wrist and another for your ankle to be worn if you plan on running.

In addition to running, the Moov can track cycling, walking, boxing, circuit training, and even swimming. The core is both waterproof and dustproof and has a replaceable battery that can last up to six months.

Rather than focusing solely on steps, the Moov tracks all your active minutes and provides in-depth sleep tracking. It has been dubbed a "3D" fitness tracker because it uses three different motion sensors: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer. In less lengthy terms, this means it is hypersensitive to different types of motion, meaning it will track every lunge, pool lap, or punch during a boxing workout.

It should be noted, that in order to track cardio boxing workouts, you will need two devices — one for each wrist. However, even without including the boxing workouts, you still get plenty of sports tracking, and all the benefits of the real-time audio coach to guide you through runs and workouts via the app.

The one feature lacking here is a built-in heart rate monitor, but the Moov is compatible with third-party heart rate monitors if you choose to use one.

The Moov Now app doesn't disappoint, which is a good thing since so much of the functionality of the Moov relies on the app. For such a simple-looking tracker, it collects an impressive amount of data, which is laid out nicely in the app. It's in the app as well that you'll find different types of workouts and exercises, including ones for cardio, cycling, and running.

If you're running or cycling outdoors, you will need your phone to utilize the connected GPS feature, but once connected you'll receive updates via the audio coach about your cadence, average speed, and other useful data every mile. If you listen to music, the volume will decrease so you can hear your updates, and then increase again once the coach is done speaking.

While it may not look like a traditional fitness tracker and lacks the typical screen, the Moov Now is worth checking out if you want an in-depth look at the impact your workouts have on your daily activity, or if you're looking for a new way to motivate yourself.

Pros: Comfortable and lightweight design, long battery life, waterproof, in-depth workout and activity tracking, audio coaching, user-friendly app

Cons: No display, no built-in heart rate monitor

The Garmin Vivofit Junior 2 provides kids with a fun way to stay active and gives parents a helping hand with incentives for doing chores.

While I did not test the Vivofit Junior 2 as far as wearing it goes (though it probably would have fit my child-sized wrist and gotten a few laughs), I had a very eager kid volunteer who tested it for me. He had all good things to say but especially liked the Star Wars-themed band.

The Junior 2 doesn't skimp on style, which is a good thing as far as kid-friendliness goes. There are different themes, including Star Wars, Avengers, and Minnie Mouse printed bands. Each band has a corresponding app game to go along with it. For example, Minnie Mouse features a Disney adventure, while the Avengers has a fitting Marvel Mission to accomplish. While they have different names, there is one objective: to provide a fun way for kids to hit 60 minutes of daily activity.

Even though it may be made for kids, this is a Garmin band and it doesn't disappoint when it comes to features. Along with step counting, it also tracks sleep and has over a year's worth of battery life so you won't constantly have to chase down your kids to recharge their band. The screen is small but colorful and customizable to add to the fun.

The bands come in two different styles: stretchy or adjustable to ensure comfort. You've seen it in action: If it's not comfortable, kids will find a way to get it off, whether its socks, shoes, hats … you name it. Luckily, my tester found the band to be very comfortable, and he gladly tested out its water resistance. I'm happy to report that it survived both the tub and the shower, which is good because Garmin describes the Junior 2 as "swim-friendly."

Though it may be fun and games for the kids, the Junior 2 also gives parents a way to monitor their child's activity. The mobile app allows parents to add profiles for multiple children, so you can track everyone's steps and activity all in one place. It also gives you the ability as the parent to assign tasks and chores. You can designate a coin value to each chore, gamifying a normally mundane task to make it more fun.

The Junior 2 will receive notifications and reminders from the app, so your child will be able to see what their next task is, or get a friendly reminder for things like brushing their teeth or finishing their homework.

Some reviewers felt that the Junior 2 is overpriced. While it is by no means inexpensive, the fact that it provides a fun way to keep kids healthy and active makes it worth the price in my opinion.

Pros: Tracks steps and sleep, receives app notifications, waterproof, fun design, app provides chore incentives and reminders

Cons: On the expensive side, some parents wish it had a "locator"

The Misfit Path is a stylish hybrid smartwatch that looks great on small wrists, and it will keep track of your steps, distance, and calories burned.

It can be challenging to find a fitness tracking hybrid smartwatch that doesn't look ridiculously oversized if your wrists are small. Misfit rose to the challenge, and the result is a hybrid smartwatch geared towards women that offers no-frills fitness tracking and smart features like notification alerts in a sleek and stylish package. I tested the Misfit Path, so I can attest to the stylish design that goes with everything, and the lightweight feel that makes it comfortable for all-day wear.

If you're looking for an analog style watch that will go with most outfits and doesn't scream, "I'm tracking every step my owner is taking!" you won't be disappointed. Most of the time it felt like I was wearing a traditional analog watch — except for when I got a call, text, email, or app notification and it would vibrate lightly on my wrist. The Path also vibrates to remind you when to move. I found this feature especially helpful during the workday when it's easy for me to get lost in a project and sit stationary for too long.

There are two buttons on the side of the Path. When you press the top button, the watch hands will move to show you the step progress you've made for the day. The bottom button is a "smart button" that can be assigned a few different tasks: You can connect it to other smart devices, to your phone's camera to take a picture or a selfie, or make your phone ring if you've misplaced it somewhere nearby. This button can also be used when you want to tag specific activities like running or biking.

The Path has a built-in 3-axis accelerometer that allows for more accurate activity tracking for steps taken, distance traveled, and an estimation of calories burned, as well as your quality of sleep. I found the sleep tracking to be a little hit or miss because I'm typically a light sleeper with insomniac tendencies and do a lot of moving around. While the Path is comfortable for daily wear, I personally didn't find it as comfortable to wear to bed.

To see your specific stats, you'll want to be synced up to the Misfit app. I love the layout of the app — it's both visually appealing and easy to navigate. As soon as you open it and the Path syncs up, you can see the miles covered, the steps you've taken, and the calories you've burned for the day.

You can also count laps and track swim distance via an In-App Lap Counting upgrade by Speedo. The Path is already swim-proof up to 50 meters, and upgrade tracks swim distance up to the meter, counts swim laps for 25 and 50-meter pools, and counts down a set swim time.

It also holds an impressive battery life of 6 months. Once the battery dies it can easily be replaced, eliminating the need for the constant charging necessary for many other fitness trackers.

If you are looking for more advanced features like heart rate tracking or a built-in GPS, you may be disappointed, but most buyers love how it discreetly tracks their basic activity while still looking stylish.

There are many different color combos available, and the straps are also interchangeable if you want to update your look. For more advanced fitness tracking features, you'll want to check out some of the other options on this list, but the Misfit Path is worth considering for those who want basic tracking from a stylish watch.

Pros: Built-in accelerometer to discreetly track steps and distance, smartphone notifications, tracks sleep, lightweight and comfortable, will remind you to move if you've been sitting too long, multiple styles and strap options to choose from

Cons: Lacking advanced features like a heart rate tracker and built-in GPS

The Motiv ring is a unique and more discreet alternative to traditional fitness trackers that you wear on the wrist, so you can free that space up for your favorite watch or jewelry.

Fitness trackers are known for providing a wealth of data at your fingertips with the help of a smartphone, but the Motiv Ring takes this idea to the next level by housing all the data directly on your finger.

I put the Motiv ring to the test to see how it held up against traditional fitness trackers. I took it on multiple runs, put it through the paces during my cross-training workouts, and wore it to bed to see just how accurate the sleep tracking is.

The thing that stood out to me the most when I first tried on the Motiv ring was the fact that it has a heart rate monitor. It's amazing that this complicated sensor can fit in such a tiny ring and work as advertised. After my first run with the Motiv ring, I was impressed. I wore my Garmin Vivosport with a heart rate monitor on my wrist as well, so I could compare the data afterward. I did this for multiple runs, and each time, the heart rate recorded by the Motiv ring matched up almost exactly to the heart rate the Vivosport reported.

The Motiv automatically detects activities like running, so there is no need to open the app to begin your run. As I have found with most automatic activity detection, the distance and duration aren't always exact. When I took it running, both the distance and time recorded for my run were a bit longer than the actual time and distance I ran. The calorie burn was also more generous than what my Vivosport reported, too. Still, I felt that the data collected by the Motiv ring was impressive considering that it was relying on the heart-rate monitor and its 3-axis accelerometer for all the data.

Once you've completed your workout, you can go in and manually label the activity, and enter the time frame that you were working out. Your "active minutes" will then be calculated based on your heart rate. It's also water-resistant up to 150 feet, so you can swim or shower with it on.

A few restless nights allowed me to see just how accurate the sleep tracking capabilities on the Motiv ring are. The tracker detected every time I woke up in the night, as well as any restless moments.

The app is easy to use, so you can check out all your stats and progress over time. The battery will last up to three days, it conveniently comes with two chargers, and it only takes about 90 minutes to become fully charged again.

If you're worried about getting the wrong size, don't — You get a sizing kit in the mail when you place your order. The kit will come before the ring so you can test out the different sizes and choose which one feels best.

While the sizes will fit most fingers, those with especially slender hands may find the Motiv Ring a little bulky at its width of 0.3 inches, but most reviewers found the design of the ring to be comfortable enough for all-day wear and praised its durability. The Motiv Ring comes in three different colors: silver, rose gold and black.

Pros: Sizing kit provided for a perfect fit, tracks steps, distance, and sleep, includes built-in heart rate monitor to track active minutes, durable and waterproof up to 150 feet, easy to navigate app

Cons: Expensive, not as fully featured as some trackers

The best smartwatches

Smartwatches aren't yet mandatory tech purchases, but they may be one day. For those of you who like to live on the cutting-edge side of the tech world, there's no better status symbol than the smartwatch. Here are the best smartwatches you can buy:

• Best smartwatch overall: Apple Watch Series 5
• Best feminine smartwatch: Kate Spade Scallop 2
• Best stylish smartwatch for women: Fossil Q Julianna HR
• Best stylish smartwatch for men: Fossil Q Carlyle HR
• Best smartwatch for Samsung fans: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

The best earbuds

Earbuds are easily the most convenient type of headphones. Whether they're wired or not, good earbuds deliver on sound quality without being big and bulky. While most of us probably remember our first pair being the hard plastic models that came with the first few generations of the iPod, they've come a long way since then. Here are the best earbuds you can buy:

• Best earbuds overall: Master & Dynamic ME05
• Best true wireless earbuds: Apple AirPods Pro
• Best true wireless earbuds for Android: Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus
• Best lightning earbuds for iPhones: Rayz Lightning Earbuds
• Best sports earbuds: Jaybird X4
• Best budget wireless earbuds: Panasonic ErgoFit

The best lightning cables for your iPhone

Anyone who has ever owned an iPhone loves to hate Apple's lightning cables. The charging cables that come with your iPhone or iPad don't usually last too long, and you end up needing more than one lightning cable at home anyway. That's why we've rounded up some of the best Apple alternatives out there. These are the best lightning cables you can buy for your iPhone:

• Best lightning cable overall: Anker PowerLine cables
• Best cheap lightning cable: AmazonBasics cable
• Best long lightning cable: Native Union Night cable
• Best tough lightning cable: Fuse Chicken Titan cable
• Best light-up cable: Monoprice Luxe Series Lightning Charge & Sync cable
• Best universal lightning cable: Nomad Universal Cable